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When we first built up our Rocky Mountain Maiden Dream Bike, we did so with both an air shock as well as a coil. The coil that we chose was\u00a0\u00d6hlins’ new TTX 22 M. It’s basically the aftermarket version of what we first started to see spec’d on the Specialized Demo, but with a different reservoir shape. However, both reservoir shapes are available aftermarket, thus allowing for a broader range of compatibility with frames. Between hearing good things and having an excellent first impression after a brief\u00a0ride aboard a Demo some time ago, we really wanted to dive into a full review of the Swedish brand’s latest offering to the DH world. \u00d6hlins\u00a0have been\u00a0charging hard into the aftermarket world recently and it’s exciting\u00a0to see a company with their level of expertise entering the MTB arena.<\/p>\n
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There are basically two common approaches to building a damper:\u00a0a single\u00a0tube<\/span>, and a twin tube,<\/span> also referred to as a\u00a0recirculating shock; the TTX 22 M is the latter. When Cane Creek first introduced the Double Barrel (a popular twin tube rear shock) \u00d6hlins helped them design it. Although they are similar in some ways, the current TTX system varies quite a bit from the Double Barrel in how it manages oil flow. Also worth noting is that \u00d6hlins isn’t married to one system over the other. In fact, we recently tested their STX 22 M, which is an air sprung, single\u00a0tube shock. \u00a0\u00d6hlins opted for a twin tube system for their DH and Enduro (coil sprung) shocks for a few reasons. In short, it all comes down to lower operating pressures and faster response times to directional changes. You don’t have to think too hard\u00a0to realize that in the gravity suspension world those are two very crucial factors.<\/p>\n The TTX 22 M separates the oil from the nitrogen (charged at a factory set 175 PSI) with an expandable nitrile rubber bladder in its reservoir, as opposed to a tradition internal floating piston. A\u00a0bladder\u00a0allows for improved sensitivity due to the lack of an additional seal and that seal’s\u00a0inherent increased friction\/resistance. Interestingly enough,\u00a0\u00d6hlins state that the biggest benefit to the bladder is improved efficiency in maintaining cooler oil temperatures.<\/p>\n On the reservoir, the high and low speed compression valves are externally adjustable via the black lever and blue knob respectively(shown above). LSC\u00a0has 16 clicks and HSC has 3 positions. On TTX 22 M units that are 8.5″ X 2.5″ and shorter, the black 3-position lever will be blue and the third position acts as a “trail-mode” style setting meant for climbing. One\u00a0minor gripe is that the\u00a0detents on the LSC are a bit vague feeling and tricky to count as there isn’t a very audible click. Especially if you’re huffing and puffing through a full face helmet. The HSC lever however is clear as day.<\/p>\n \u00d6hlins, use a specially shaped lower spring collar with a retainer that hugs the bottom out bumper. This way, it can’t fully pancake out when it gets smashed on full compression. This ensures a nice, progressive bottom out with an endless feel as opposed to a harsh, metal to metal clack.\u00a0As far as hardware goes, the TTX 22 M is available with DU bushings or spherical bearings\u00a0on bikes which have shock hardware under\u00a022mm wide.<\/p>\n The coil sprung shocks from\u00a0\u00d6hlins come in rather unconventional 23lb. increments. They claim that by optimizing the spring rates for each stroke range it saves 25-30% over competitors. Curious about that claim we weighed their 411# X 3.0″ \u00a0spring and compared it to a 400# X 3.0″\u00a0spring from another major suspension manufacturer. The \u00d6hlins weighed 492g vs. 663g for the competitor, providing a 25.8% savings. That’s even despite the\u00a0\u00d6hlins being rated slightly heavier. As a side note, out of curiosity, we compared a\u00a0stock spring to a Ti spring and only found a 113g difference.![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.mtb-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/IMC9859-750x500.jpg\")
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